Random History : The Highly Gratified Poor

Today, our random time machine takes us back to 1873 and up the valley to Heptonstall. Ah, the good old days when Victorian values were paramount and if you gave someone from the poorhouse an orange they would be “highly gratified”.

“TREAT TO THE POOR – On New Year’s Day (through the kindness and liberality of a lady resident in Heptonstall township), the inmates of Blackshawhead poorhouse were served with a good substantial tea at the house of Mr Ogden, grocer: a quantity of oranges and other “luxuries” were distributed afterwards, and the company was highly gratified”